East Side Access Readiness Projects

In Thursday Morning's post, I went into many of the particulars surrounding the work that is going on for the MTA's massive East Side Access construction project.  While the tunnels and caverns underneath Queens and Manhattan are certainly the biggest focus of the project's time and money, there are a number of other projects that are planned elsewhere on Long Island that go hand-in-hand with East Side Access.

As I said yesterday, East Side Access will create up to 24 new train slots for the LIRR on the west end of it's operations in Manhattan.  But, all that capacity will be underused if the LIRR doesn't add some more capacity on the east end of its operation.  Many eastern terminals are currently at or near capacitor during rush hours (for all various reasons to numerous to list all here), and if the LIRR does not work to remedy some of those constraints, they will not be able to utilize East Side Access to the best of it's ability.

I will go delve into each of the different constraints at the eastern terminals individually over the coming weeks as I put forth my "best guesses" as to how the LIRR can get the greatest out of its infrastructure, service patterns, etc.

But for today, I will briefly review some of the specific projects the LIRR has on tap to be ready to meet East Side Access.  There are others they should be doing, but the following projects are what was presented to the MTA Capital Program Oversight Committee in January:

• Jamaica Capacity Improvement Project (Phase 1) 
• The scope of phase one of this project includes the construction of a new Platform F at Jamaica which will serve as the main home for the Atlantic Branch if the LIRR decides to turn it into a cross-borough scoot.  Moving the Atlantic Branch over to this new platform out of the way would allow the LIRR to reconfigure JAY and HALL interlockings to allow for trains that are to be routed to the LIRR Mainline (to New York, Hunterspoint Avenue, and Queens) to be able to flow through the complex more easily, and allowing for a capacity increase of up to 40%.
• Eventually, later phases of the project will improve flow through the station even more.  Things like flyover tracks that would pass over the station entirely could speed the trips for people who take Flyers (peak trains that skip Jamaica) by several minutes.
• Timeline:
• The reconfiguration of Johnson Avenue Yard would start in February 2014
• Construction on Platform F would start in Q2 of 2014.
• Construction on Platform F would be completed in February 2018.
• Cost for Phase 1: $301.7 million
  
  
• Massapequa Pocket Track
• This project would consist of the installation of a new pocket track east of Massapequa station.  The pocket track would be stub-ended at the east end and switches at the west end would allow for the LIRR to use Massapequa as a mid-line terminal during rush hours (and outside of rush hours too).  Trains would be able to terminate at Massapequa, pull onto the pocket track, turn around, then pull back west onto the Westbound track to head back to New York.
• Work on this project is already underway, as the LIRR installed an additional bridge segment over Unqua Creek for the pocket track on June 29, 2013.
• Timeline:
• Construction started in March 2013.
• The Unqua Creek Brridge segment was lifted into place on June 29, 2013.
• Construction will be completed in December 2015
• Cost for project: $19.6 million
  
  
• Colonial Road Improvement Project
• This project involves extending the existing pocket track at Great Neck Station to be long enough to accommodate a second 12-car train.  The current pocket track has enough space to fit one 12-car consist, but this project will extend the pocket track to allow for a second train to be stored here.
• As part of the project, the LIRR will also replace the 115-year old Colonial Road Bridge, which passes over the pocket track.
• This LIRR has been going on about this project for ages.  They have brought up the project and its importance a couple times a year for the last half-decade or more, but they just have made no physically visible progress on this project, but here's the Timeline:
• Design/Build RFP documents were completed in December 2013.
• Proposals for start of construction to be received in March 2014.
• Construction would be completed in May 2016.
• Cost for project: $35.3 million
  
  
• Port Washington Yard Reconfiguration Project
• For this project, the LIRR will extend two tracks in Port Washington Yard to accommodate a total of 18 additional cars in the yard.  This increase in capacity would allow for additional peak service out of Port Washington.
• This project has caught hell from the local NIMBY population as they violently lash out at the thought of losing just a single parking spot in their beloved parking spots.  Luckily, the LIRR has the alternative of extending the tracks onto it's own parking lots.  It will accomplish the same result, however more parking spaces will have to be removed in the LIRR lot as there are fewer existing tracks on the west side of the yard.  The LIRR will be able to get this project done with or without the cooperation of Port Washington, the town of North Hempstead, and all of the NIBMYs, and I hope they seize the opportunity here to show the NIMBYs who is boss.
• Currently, the technical scope of the work is under development.
• Timeline:
• Design will start in Q4 of 2014.
• Construction will start in 2016.
• Construction will end in 2018.
• Cost for project: $12.1 million
  
  
• Mid-Suffolk Electric Yard
• I have yet to write a post on this particular project due to the very vague nature in which the LIRR has approached this project.  A yard in "Mid-Suffolk" could refer to any number of possible places.  For a while, it seemed like the LIRR wanted to build a big Mid-Suffolk Yard in Yaphank and additional run trains out of there.  More recently, it seems like the LIRR is leaning less towards putting this yard in Yaphank but instead construct a second yard someplace in Ronkonkoma, very near the current one.
• Page 129 of the meeting notes for Monday's MTA Board LIRR Committee Meeting (the notes will likely be available on the MTA's website later this afternoon), seems to reinforce the idea that the yard will be in Ronkonkoma and not Yaphank as others have previously speculated.  As it looks now, the new "Mid-Suffolk" yard will be located immediately to the south of today's Ronkonkoma Yard and will have 11 additional train storage tracks as well as other facilities for car cleaning and inspections.
• Timeline:
• Preliminary design started in January 2014
• The design/build procurement (RFP) will be issued in April 2015.
• Design/build will begin in January 2016.
• Construction will be completed in January 2018.
• Cost for project: $76.6 million.

These five projects are among the most important projects that will need to be ready for opening day of East Side Access, whenever that will be.  There are other important projects that the LIRR should try to get done as well, notably the HUNT Capacity Improvements, the Ronkonkoma Branch Double Track Project, and definitely, positively the Third Mainline Track Project.  All but one of these projects have been rather lethargic lately, as there hasn't been no real progress on them.  It's a good think East Side Access didn't open on schedule in December of 2013, as we'd be in pretty sorry shape if it did.  The capacity enhancements that several of these projects will bring could be of benefit to commuters the moment they are done.  We don't have to wait until ESA is finished to make use of some of these projects, so dragging our feet on these projects just because ESA is slow coming is silly.